Psalms 22:12-13
Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me; they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The Psalmist isn't just facing a crowd, he's surrounded by powerful, pampered oppressors, likened to the famously robust cattle from the lush pastures of Bashan, emphasizing their insolent strength and aggressive intent rather than mere numbers.
The psalmist is in a moment of extreme distress, feeling utterly surrounded and attacked by powerful, aggressive enemies. He uses the imagery of fierce bulls, especially those from the famously fertile and strong breed of Bashan, to describe the sheer might and insolence of those who have come against him. This intense feeling of being overwhelmed and targeted leads directly into his cries of abandonment and suffering in the verses that follow.
Imagine being surrounded by a herd of enraged bulls, their horns lowered, ready to charge. This is the terrifying image the Psalmist uses to describe his enemies.
The prophet vividly portrays his adversaries as 'bulls.' This isn't just about their number, but their sheer ferocity and brute strength.
Brutal Power
Bulls are known for their aggressive nature and destructive force. They trample and gore with overwhelming power. When the Psalmist compares his enemies to bulls, he's communicating their overwhelming might and the intense violence they pose.
Pack Mentality
Notice the word 'encompass' and 'surround.' This isn't a lone attacker, but a coordinated mob. Like a herd of bulls, these enemies are united in their aggression, closing in from all sides.
Why 'bulls of Bashan'? This phrase carries a specific weight, pointing to a land known for its powerful and imposing cattle.
Bashan was a region east of the Jordan River, famous for its incredibly rich pastures. This meant the cattle raised there were not just ordinary animals; they were exceptionally large, strong, and fierce.
Symbol of Elite Oppression
Calling his enemies 'strong bulls of Bashan' elevates the description. It means these aren't just any enemies; they are the most powerful, the most aggressive, the elite of oppressors. They are the ones who should be strong and respected, but instead use their strength for wicked purposes.
An Unholy Alliance
When applied to the suffering of Christ, as Christians often see in this Psalm, the 'bulls of Bashan' represent the combined forces of religious and political power—the Jewish leaders and Roman authorities—united in their brutal assault.
Understand the original words
parim · Hebrew Noun
Large, powerful bovine animals often used in Scripture as metaphors for arrogant, oppressive, or destructive adversaries of the righteous.
Bashan · Hebrew Proper Noun
A fertile region east of the Jordan known for its rich pastures and large livestock; used figuratively to represent formidable, well-fed, or prideful enemies.
ari · Hebrew Noun
A predatory animal known for its strength, ferocity, and terrifying roar; frequently used in the Bible to symbolize aggressive persecutors or the devouring nature of death.
The phrase 'bulls of Bashan' evokes powerful, oppressive enemies from Israel's history, a metaphor that resonates deeply when applied to the unified forces of religious and political powers that confronted Jesus.
c. 1000 BC
David's Reign as King
King David, the traditional author of many Psalms, reigned during a period of both great success and intense personal danger, often facing rebellions and powerful enemies.
c. 900-700 BC
Prophets Warn Israel and Judah
Prophets like Amos decried the injustice and oppression of the wealthy elite in both Israel and Judah, famously referring to the powerful women of Samaria as 'kine of Bashan'.
c. 597-586 BC
Babylonian Exile Begins
The Babylonian empire began deporting Judeans to Babylon, a time of national trauma and reflection on God's judgment, deeply influencing later psalmody and prophetic writings.
c. 30-33 AD— this verse
Crucifixion of Jesus Christ
Jesus of Nazareth, believed by Christians to be the suffering servant of the Psalms, was arrested, tried, and crucified by a coalition of Jewish leaders and Roman authorities.
This passage echoes the imagery of 'cows of Bashan' to describe powerful and oppressive women, highlighting how the strength and insolence of these 'bulls' in Psalms can represent oppressive forces.
Ezekiel 39:18This verse speaks of a great slaughter of warriors and their 'strong bulls,' underscoring the association of Bashan with powerful, formidable entities that can be overcome.
Matthew 27:1The Gospel account shows the 'chief priests and elders of the people' plotting against Jesus, mirroring the 'many bulls' who plotted against the Psalmist and, by extension, Christ.
Luke 23:13This verse describes Pilate gathering the chief priests and the people to try Jesus, illustrating the collective 'comprising' of Jesus by powerful figures, much like the 'bulls' surrounding the Psalmist.
John 18:3This verse mentions Judas arriving with a cohort of soldiers and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, showing the organized and formidable group that came to arrest Jesus, akin to the 'strong bulls of Bashan.'
pulpitPsalms 22:12: "Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round."
Verse 12. - Many bulls have compassed me. The Sufferer represents the adversaries who crowd around him under the figure of "bulls" - fierce animals in all parts of the world, and in Palestine particularly' wild and ferocious. "Bulls,, and buffaloes are very numerous, says Canon Tristram, "in Southern Judaea; they are in the habit of gathering in a circle around any novel or unaccustomed object, and may be…
ellicottPsalms 22:12: "Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round."
(12) Bulls of Bashan. —For “Bashan” see Numbers 21:33 ; for its pastures and cattle, comp. Deuteronomy 32:14 , and for the figures, Amos 4:1 . Instead of “fat bulls,” the LXX. and Vulgate paraphrase “strong ones of Bashan.” The point of the comparison lies in the wantonness and insolence of pampered pride, displayed by the minions of fortune.
The Psalmist isn't just facing a crowd, he's surrounded by powerful, pampered oppressors, likened to the famously robust cattle from the lush pastures of Bashan, emphasizing their insolent strength and aggressive intent rather than mere numbers.
The psalmist is in a moment of extreme distress, feeling utterly surrounded and attacked by powerful, aggressive enemies. He uses the imagery of fierce bulls, especially those from the famously fertile and strong breed of Bashan, to describe the sheer might and insolence of those who have come against him. This intense feeling of being overwhelmed and targeted leads directly into his cries of abandonment and suffering in the verses that follow.
The psalmist is in a moment of extreme distress, feeling utterly surrounded and attacked by powerful, aggressive enemies. He uses the imagery of fierce bulls, especially those from the famously fertile and strong breed of Bashan, to describe the sheer might and insolence of those who have come against him. This intense feeling of being overwhelmed and targeted leads directly into his cries of abandonment and suffering in the verses that follow.
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"Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me; they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion." — The Psalmist isn't just facing a crowd, he's surrounded by powerful, pampered oppressors, likened to the famously robust cattle from the lush pastures of Bashan, emphasizing their insolent strength a…
